U.S. patent application number 11/957774 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-05 for projection systems for activity based users.
This patent application is currently assigned to The North Face Apparel Corp.. Invention is credited to Jeff Nash, Winston Shih.
Application Number | 20100195057 11/957774 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42397430 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100195057 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nash; Jeff ; et al. |
August 5, 2010 |
PROJECTION SYSTEMS FOR ACTIVITY BASED USERS
Abstract
A projection system for displaying information which may include
an electronic device and a projector connected to the electronic
device. The electronic device and projector can be positioned on an
article of clothing and/or an outdoor recreational product to
project information therefrom. The article of clothing and/or
outdoor recreational device may include a screen to enhance the
projected information. The projector may be in connection with a
power source.
Inventors: |
Nash; Jeff; (Oakland,
CA) ; Shih; Winston; (New York, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KENYON & KENYON LLP
1500 K STREET N.W., SUITE 700
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
The North Face Apparel
Corp.
Wilmington
DE
|
Family ID: |
42397430 |
Appl. No.: |
11/957774 |
Filed: |
December 17, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
353/28 ; 353/122;
353/43; 353/79 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 21/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
353/28 ; 353/122;
353/43; 353/79 |
International
Class: |
G03B 21/10 20060101
G03B021/10; G03B 21/00 20060101 G03B021/00 |
Claims
1. An article of clothing, comprising: a projection system for
projecting information, the system comprising: an electronic
device; and a projector connected to the electronic device, wherein
the electronic device and projector are positionable on the article
of clothing to project information therefrom.
2. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the projector
includes an LED.
3. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the projector
includes a laser.
4. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the projector
projects alphanumeric information.
5. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the projector
projects information onto the ground.
6. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the projector
projects information onto a wall.
7. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the electronic device
is selected from the group consisting of portable media players,
wireless personal area networks, cell phones, global positioning
systems, and personal digital assistants.
8. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the system further
comprises a power source to power the electronic device selected
from the group consisting of batteries and solar power.
9. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the system further
comprises a connector to connect the electronic device with the
projector.
10. The article of clothing of claim 1 further comprising a screen
positioned on the article of clothing to enhance the projected
information.
11. The article of clothing of claim 1 wherein the article of
clothing is selected from the group consisting of a jacket, shirt,
and pants.
12. An outdoor recreational apparatus, comprising: a projection
system for projecting information, the system comprising: an
electronic device; and a projector connected to the electronic
device, wherein the electronic device and projector are
positionable on the device to project information therefrom.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the projector includes an
LED.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the projector includes a
laser.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the projector projects
information onto the ground.
16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the projector projects
information onto a wall.
17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the electronic device is
selected from the group consisting of portable media players,
wireless personal area networks, cell phones, global positioning
systems, and personal digital assistants.
18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the system further comprises
a power source to power the electronic device selected from the
group consisting of batteries and solar power.
19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the system further comprises
a connector to connect the electronic device with the
projector.
20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is selected
from the group consisting of a backpack, tent, and sleeping bag.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application generally relates to projection
systems for projecting information from electronic devices
configured for use with articles of clothing and/or outdoor
recreational apparatuses.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Currently, electronic interfaces that may be used in
articles of clothing and/or outdoor recreational products involve
audio interfaces. For example, soft textile controllers may be used
to operate portable media players and wireless devices. When using
such controllers, display of information, such as song titles,
artist, and/or caller ID, is not currently available. This is due,
in part, to limitations with respect to display technologies (e.g.,
flexible screens, electronic ink, etc).
[0003] In order to address the drawbacks associated with current
display technologies, certain embodiments of the present
application use a nano-projector to project, rather than display,
information. Moreover, certain embodiments of the present
application include nano-projectors which use lasers/LEDs, which
can reduce the size of the projector, while at the same time
reducing power consumption and heat output.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0004] The present application is directed to projection systems
for projecting information from electronic devices configured for
use in articles of clothing and/or outdoor recreational
products.
[0005] Certain embodiments of the present application regard an
article of clothing comprising a projection system for projecting
information. The system may comprise an electronic device and a
projector connected to the electronic device. The electronic device
and projector can be positionable on the article of clothing to
project information therefrom.
[0006] Other embodiments of the present application relate to an
outdoor recreational product comprising a projection system for
projecting information. The projection system may comprise an
electronic device and a projector connected to the electronic
device. The electronic device and projector can be positionable on
the device to project information therefrom.
[0007] The application may be embodied by numerous other devices
and methods. The description provided herein, when taken in
conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses examples of the
application. Other embodiments, which incorporate some or all steps
as taught herein, are also possible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Referring to the drawings, which form a part of this
disclosure:
[0009] FIG. 1 shows an article of clothing including a projection
system for projecting information as may be employed in accordance
with certain embodiments of the present application;
[0010] FIGS. 2a-b show projector devices that may be employed in
accordance with certain embodiments of the present application;
[0011] FIG. 3 shows the article of clothing of FIG. 1 with and
without the projection system for projecting information positioned
thereon;
[0012] FIG. 4 shows electronic devices that may be employed in
accordance with certain embodiments of the present application;
[0013] FIG. 5 shows an outdoor recreational product including a
projection system as may be employed in accordance with embodiments
of the present application;
[0014] FIG. 6 shows examples of outdoor recreational devices that
may be used in accordance with certain embodiments of the present
application; and
[0015] FIGS. 7-9 show various examples of using the projection
system for projecting information as may be employed in accordance
with certain embodiments of the present application.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The present application generally relates to projection
systems for projecting information which may include an electronic
device and a projector connected to the electronic device. The
electronic device and projector can be positioned on an article of
clothing and/or an outdoor recreational product to project
information therefrom.
[0017] Referring initially to FIG. 1, it can be seen that certain
embodiments of the present application can relate to articles of
clothing 5 which may include a system for projecting information.
The system can comprise an electronic device 10 and a projector 20
connected to the electronic device 10. The electronic device 10
and/or projector 20 may be in communication with a power source 30.
Further, a screen 40 may be disposed on a portion of the article of
clothing, in this case a sleeve of a jacket, to enhance projection
of images.
[0018] As stated hereinabove, the electronic device 10 and
projector 20 can be positioned on an article of clothing to project
information therefrom. In the example, the article of clothing is a
jacket; however, any article of clothing may be used including
shirts, pants, etc. The article of clothing may include pockets,
compartments, attachment clips, etc., sized to support the
electronic device 10, projector 20, power source 30, and/or screen
40. All of the aforementioned components 10, 20, 30, 40 may also be
detachably removed.
[0019] As seen in FIGS. 2a-b, a projector 220 is shown. The
projector 220 can include an LED and/or a laser. Since the
projector 220 uses LED and/or laser technology, lighter parts may
be used and cooling fans may be omitted.
[0020] In the examples shown, since an incandescent light bulb is
not being used, the size of the projector 220 can be reduced. For
instance, in the example shown in FIG. 2a, the projector 220 is
3.75 inches long, 1.5 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thick. Of course,
other dimensions may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 2b, a
rectangular shaped projector 220 is shown having a length of 2.0
inches, a width of 1.5 inches, and is 0.0625 inches thick.
[0021] In certain examples, the projector 220 has a projection
distance of 1.0 to 9.0 feet long, however, other ranges may be
used. In other examples, the size of the image projected may be
between 7.0-63.0 inches, measured diagonally, however, other image
sizes may be used. The projector 220 may project information onto
the ground and/or onto a surface such as a wall.
[0022] One example of suitable projectors that may be used in
accordance with embodiments of the present application are
nano-projectors manufactured by ExPlay.TM. Technologies of Israel;
however, any suitable projector that projects information, such as
black and white alphanumeric information, may be used.
[0023] The projectors size and weight may be preferably minimized
for the following: integration into apparel or equipment (may also
be removable); useable for outdoor environment and related seasonal
conditions; and useable for activities such as trekking, trail
running, skiing, and snowboarding. Projectors in accordance with
certain embodiments of the present application can be used to
project simple, text, static information (snapshot) from a
electronic device being used during activity. For example, the
projector may project black and white alphanumeric characters, may
have low refresh rates, low resolution, minimal power consumption,
and additional functionality can be considered with sensitivity to
impact on system's size, weight, cost, complexity, development lead
time. Likewise, the projector may project color, have a high
refresh rate, high resolution, and increased power consumption if
desired. Still other arrangements are possible.
[0024] In accordance with certain embodiments of the present
application, the projector may include standard input and output
interfaces on the projector to allow connection to a variety of
electronic devices with the use of adaptors where necessary. These
connections can allow inherent projector signals from the
electronic device to be passed to the projector. In addition, the
electronic device may be interfaced to CD devices having audio
outputs.
[0025] In accordance with other embodiments, the projector may
incorporate cables for power, video, and/or audio. Further, the
projector may also be wireless for video, audio and operation
control.
[0026] Projectors which may be used in outdoor environments can be
preferably durable. For example, they are preferably designed to
withstand high ambient temperatures of up to around 120.degree. F.
and low ambient temperatures of around -20.degree. F. Further, the
projector may be preferably designed to withstand moist/wet
environments (e.g., degree of water resistance), constant shock
impact (e.g., related to running), and/or dust/dirt.
[0027] As seen in FIG. 3, the projector 320 may be in connection
with a power source 330. The power source 330 may be a battery,
such as a re-chargeable lithium ion battery, and/or can be solar
powered. FIG. 3 also illustrates that the projection system may be
removed from the article of clothing.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows examples of electronic devices that may be used
in accordance with embodiments of the present application. Suitable
electronic devices may include, but are not limited to, portable
media players 410a, wireless personal area networks, cell phones
410b, global positioning systems 410c, personal digital assistants,
and cameras 410d.
[0029] FIG. 5 shows an outdoor recreational apparatus 550 including
a projection system as may be employed in accordance with other
embodiments of the present application. As with FIG. 1, described
hereinabove in detail, the projection system includes a electronic
device 510 and projector 520 which can be positioned on the outdoor
recreational apparatus 550 to project information therefrom. In the
example, the outdoor recreational apparatus is a tent; however, any
apparatus may be used including sleeping bags, backpacks, etc. As
with FIG. 1, the system may optionally include a power source 530
and/or screen 540. The outdoor recreational apparatus 550 may
include pockets, compartments, attachment clips, etc., sized to
support the electronic device 510, projector 520, power source 530,
and/or screen 540. All of the aforementioned components 510, 520,
530, 540 may also be detachably removed.
[0030] FIG. 6 shows examples of outdoor recreational apparatuses
for which the system of projecting information in accordance with
certain embodiments of the present application may be used. For
example, in the example, a tent 650a, sleeping bag 650b, and
backpack 650c are shown; however, other outdoor recreational
apparatuses may be used.
[0031] FIGS. 7-9 show various examples of using the projector
system for projecting information as may be employed in accordance
with certain embodiments of the present application. For example,
FIG. 7 shows a runner using the system positioned on an article of
clothing to project pace, distance, and total time while running
FIG. 8 shows a hiker using the system positioned on a backpack
strap while hiking to project GPS coordinates. FIG. 9 shows a
snowboarder using the system to project information from a mobile
phone onto a screen (positioned on a sleeve of an article of
clothing) to project caller ID information. Other uses may include
viewing song title, artist, volume level when playing music from
electronic device while skiing/snowboarding; projecting pictures on
a wall of a tent after a day of hiking while relaxing at a
campsite; and viewing videos in a yurt after a day backcountry
skiing/snowboarding. Still other arrangements are possible.
[0032] While various embodiments have been described, other
embodiments are possible. It should be understood that the
foregoing descriptions of various examples of the projecting system
for use with an article of clothing and/or outdoor recreational
apparatus are not intended to be limiting, and any number of
modifications, combinations, and alternatives of the examples may
be employed.
[0033] The examples described herein are merely illustrative, as
numerous other embodiments may be implemented without departing
from the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the
present application. Moreover, while certain features of the
application may be shown on only certain embodiments or
configurations, these features may be exchanged, added, and removed
from and between the various embodiments or configurations while
remaining within the scope of the application. Likewise, methods
described and disclosed may also be performed in various sequences,
with some or all of the disclosed steps being performed in a
different order than described while still remaining within the
spirit and scope of the present application.
* * * * *